My mother and I recently strolled through Cloudehill Gardens in Olinda, enjoying the early autumn leaves on maples and liquidambars, water droplets glistening on lamb’s-ear, glazed blue pots filled with variegated foliage, and burbling water features.
Carved into a pathway at Cloudehill is the phrase ‘It is solved by walking’. Also depicted in Latin – solvitur ambulando – the original phrase refers to when the ancient Greek philosopher Diogenes decided to make a point during a debate by getting to his feet and silently walking away.
Like many philosophical sayings, it can be interpreted in numerous ways. A simple solution may exist for a seemingly complex dilemma. A problem may be solved by walking away and viewing it from a new perspective. A dilemma may be resolved by putting it aside then returning to it later. An answer to a predicament may be clarified by going for a walk, experiencing the outdoors, breathing fresh air, clearing one’s mind. The phrase has become a truism for the multiple benefits of walking and other forms of exercise.
Having completed the first draft of my second novel, I have decided that following the ancient adage of Solvitur Ambulando is the best way for me to tackle the second draft. At the early stage of the writing process, the plot for a new story can appear confusing, the character arcs ambiguous. Sub-plots can trail off to unresolved dead-ends, the research may have holes, and major plot points appear erratic. Although I am proud of completing the first draft, and there are elements of the story that will remain in the final version, extensive rewriting is needed before the manuscript is ready for the printers.
I will walk away from the first draft to allow me to view the story from a distance and with a fresh perspective. I will open an empty page on Scrivener and begin writing Lily’s and Fenna’s stories once more. I will regularly walk in nature to clear my mind, lift my spirits, increase my energy levels, and help clarify the plot points and character arcs.
Slowly, the jumbled threads of the story will become clearer. Ambiguities and dilemmas will be clarified.
It will be solved by walking.